Morris County Republican Chairman John Sette, far left, introduces the winners of the 2007 Republican primary for Morris County freeholder. Former Freeholder Jack Schrier waves to the crowd, while Freeholder Douglas Cabana, who is seeking re-election again this year, is at the far right.Tim Farrell/ The Star-Ledger

MORRIS COUNTY — Party unity among Morris County Republicans appeared shattered on Friday when the party chairman asked the GOP's supporters to stay away from a fundraiser for the freeholder director, a Republican nominee for re-election.

In an e-mail to about 5,000 people, including all 700 members of the county Republican Committee, Chairman John Sette accused Freeholder Thomas Mastrangelo of holding “unauthorized” fundraising events and said the planned Sept. 18 golf outing would “hurt our ability to raise necessary funds” for other county and municipal office-seekers.

“As party chairman, I am asking you not to support the golf outing of this self-serving man,” Sette said. “I have the duty to protect the integrity of the party.”

Sette said he had asked Mastrangelo to change the date of the golf event, noting the county Republican Committee normally holds its annual fundraiser in early October.

“He chose to ignore our conversation and place his own needs above those of his fellow elected county officials and municipal county committees,” Sette said.

By having the golf event on Sept. 18, Mastrangelo is asking contributors to make two donations, instead of one, Sette said in an interview.

For example, Instead of giving $100 for the entire Republican ticket, a donor might give $50 to Mastrangelo and just $50 for all the other candidates combined, Sette said.

Freeholder Thomas Mastrangelo speaks at a candidates forum in Morristown before the spring 2013 primary.Saed Hindash/ The Star-Ledger

“We have an agreement, and he has broken it many times,” Sette said. Some Republican supporters, he said, have gotten so many e-mails lately from the Mastrangelo campaign that they felt they were “actually being harassed.”

The county Republican Committee has a longstanding policy that after the primary, candidates do not hold individual fundraisers until after the November election, Sette said. During his 31 years on the committee’s finance panel, Sette said, Mastrangelo is the only candidate who has ever violated this policy.

Mastrangelo has reached out to county vendors for contributions, which is legal but those donations are usually reserved for the entire Republican ticket, Sette said.

Mastrangelo had $29,000 in his election account at the end of June – more than all the other freeholder candidates combined, Sette said.

Asked if he is still supporting Mastrangelo’s re-election, Sette said only, “He will not be on the county literature. He doesn’t want to play by the rules.”

But if Mastrangelo “goes back to the original agreement,” he will be included in the literature and all will be forgiven, Sette said.

Mastrangelo declined to comment on the specifics in Sette’s allegations, saying “Unfortunately, sometimes things happen in local politics and I’m sure it will all be worked out.”

In an e-mail sent Friday night to the same group that received Sette's e-mail, Mastrangelo called Sette's charges "untrue and misleading" and said his "decision to air his personal grievances against me in public was a mistake."

But rather than respond point-by-point to the allegations, Mastrangelo said, "I will abide by Ronald Regan's 11th commandment that 'Thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican.' "

"Chairman Sette and I share the same goal -- to grow and unify our party," Mastrangelo said.

Roxbury Deputy Mayor Kathy DeFillippo, who is running with Mastrangelo on the Republican ticket for freeholder, said she is “confident” that Mastrangelo and Sette “will work out their differences.”

“They’re both dedicated public officials,” she said.

Democrats haven’t won a countywide race in Morris in more than three decades, but they often win municipal contests in certain towns.

The third member of the Republican ticket for freeholder is Douglas Cabana, who is seeking his sixth term. They are opposed by Democrats Thomas J. Moran, Roger Holman and Donald Cresitello, a former mayor of Morristown.